Jeremy Witter, of Milwaukee, attended his Night Market event. He volunteered to stand as Allen Grant, 11, jumps over him. Grant is a part of a group called Milwaukee Flyers that started in 2005. Tyger Williams/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Newaukee Night Market includes a VIP section that is on the third floor balcony at the Grand Avenue mall. The balcony overlooks the main central area of the Night Market. Tyger Williams/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Alana Rodgers paints a record on a custom built spinning table. Rodgers and her boyfriend, Nick Hosmanek attended the Newuakee Night Market. They make vinyl record pieces from Soul Spin Spin Art MKE by Justin Stone. Tyger Williams/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Tom Rex (middle) and his wife Ana Rexsit by a fire to roast some marshmallows given out by Graef engineering firm. The firm has a s'mores tent to raise money for school funds for engineering students. Tyger Williams/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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Tom Rex (middle) and his wife Ana Rexsit by a fire to roast some marshmallows given out by Graef engineering firm. The firm has a s'mores tent to raise money for school funds for engineering students.(Photo11: Tyger Williams/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

MILWAUKEE - Music streams through a large set of speakers as children play and dance in the intersection of West Wisconsin Avenue and North Old World Third Street.

The kids aren't the only ones having fun. A dad carrying shopping bags steps out into the intersection to dance along to "The Wobble" by V.I.C. as the crowd grows. There are college students, workers in suits, teens in ripped jeans and small children dancing along, smiling and laughing together as they blend into the dancing mass.

This isn't an uncommon sight at the Newaukee Night Market, an event held four times a summer in downtown Milwaukee. The event shuts down Wisconsin Avenue between Fourth and Second streets, and vendors sell their wares while thousands traverse the streets, dance, talk and eat.

Night markets aren't just a Milwaukee thing, though. Cities across the state — in Appleton, Madison, Viroqua, Stevens Point and more — have started hosting creative events like Newaukee's.

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Kyle Eden of Appleton spits fire during Bazaar After Dark Thursday, July 19, 2018, in Neenah, Wis. The event is hosted Pulse Young Professionals Network at the Fox Cities Chamber. Eden is a crew member of Fox Valley Fire and Flow Collective.(Photo11: Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

Organizers say the events drive development in areas of the cities that might have previously gone unnoticed. In fact, if groups like the young professionals' advocacy group Newaukee have their way, a lot more Wisconsin cities could be making the decision to shut down their streets and throw a party.

The events have already had a positive effect on their downtown Milwaukee neighborhood, said Newaukee CEO Angela Damiani. Newaukee asked artists to submit ideas for a new art installation for the stretch of road, which was home to vacant, boarded-up storefronts. And from the piece of art that was chosen by judges— the piece essentially was a large pavilion with built-in stalls — was born the night market: several hours of shopping, eating, entertainment and more, held four times each summer. This year, Damiani said, she expects each market to attract about 20,000 people.

"It's not a polished event — it's pretty raw," Damiani said. "It's messy and smoky because of the bonfires and the roasting corn. But it feels as authentic and as real as anything else."

Since the first market in 2014, West Wisconsin Avenue has seen a lot of change, Damiani said. The Grand Theater is being revitalized. Once-empty storefronts now boast businesses. And the Grand Avenue mall is under new ownership and renovations.

"It will be the whole first floor, 50,000 square feet of upstart enterprise in a bazaar-style fashion," she said.

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But Milwaukee isn't the only Wisconsin city that's benefiting from a night market, as others have started to pop up across the state, taking on the same mission.

In the Fox Cities, the Bazaar After Dark moves around from place to place, highlighting different business districts that organizers feel need to be re-introduced to community members, said Nikki Hessel, the director of community engagement for the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce. The chamber has held events in downtown Appleton, but also in Menasha and Kaukauna, so far.

The first year, Hessel said, the organization chose Wisconsin Avenue in Appleton because it was an area not many residents thought about going to for shopping or other activities.

"We wanted people to have a positive experience with the area," she said.

That first Bazaar, held in the fall of 2016, was expected to draw in about 1,000 people. Instead, it drew nearly 3,500 people, Hessel said.

"People are craving these types of events in the community," she said.

And not only are community members craving events like this. Small-business owners and artists are, too.

"It gives very small arts businesses a place to sell, make money and networking space to make connections," Hessel said. "The community that's been created has been exciting to watch."

The night markets offer a less stressful environment than formal meetings for sharing and creating ideas, said Nora Roughen-Schmidt, the executive director of the Viroqua Chamber Main Street organization.

"The night markets allow us to work with up-and-coming entrepreneurs, giving them an outlet and a venue to explore their business models," she said.

Damiani said she believes the events have helped Milwaukee in the same way, both giving vendors a springboard for ideas, and introducing the public to spaces that need to be re-imagined.

James Steeno (left) sells water colored artwork. It takes Steen about 10-15 hours to do larger pieces and about 20-45 minutes for smaller art pieces.(Photo11: Tyger Williams/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

"That's the really interesting thing about creative place-making, it's democratizing how real estate and economic development take place," she said. "It gives people a sense of ownership and a sense of pride in a space or place that they normally feel like 'Oh, the government or some sort of private CEO is going to make decisions about how my community looks.' It give the general public a seat at the table or even puts them in the driver's seat for how that space should look in the future."

Night markets across the state are also helping community members, both young and old, see the value of the place that they live in and establish connections to both the place and other people that help to create a strong tie to the community.

"It communicates a sense of pride," said Brian Johnson, the executive director of On Broadway in Green Bay.

Johnson said that for his city, the igNight Market helped people feel more at home in a business district that people used to regard as unsafe, just like Milwaukee.

"It gives people a reason to come down," he said. "It helped people feel safe, and helped them envision the area in a dramatically different way."

Kiana Lamaide of Oshkosh uses her umbrella as a spinning top during Bazaar After Dark Thursday, July 19, 2018, in Neenah, Wis. The event is hosted Pulse Young Professionals Network at the Fox Cities Chamber.
Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin,

Dan Fleming of Milwaukee creates a large wall mural on the side of Pappa's Cafe during Bazaar After Dark Thursday, July 19, 2018, in Neenah, Wis. The event is hosted Pulse Young Professionals Network at the Fox Cities Chamber.
Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin,

Lyana Ontiveros, 3, of Neenah is done for the day after eating food during Bazaar After Dark Thursday, July 19, 2018, in Neenah, Wis. The event is hosted Pulse Young Professionals Network at the Fox Cities Chamber.
Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin,